Prolonged Grief in Young Bereaved Spouses and Partners

Completed

• Conditions: Grief
• Interventions: Behavioral: in-person or telephone interview

• Registration Number: NCT00745784
• Lead Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Brief Summary

The purpose of the research is to learn more about the experience of grief in young bereaved spouses/partners. Recent research has shown that young bereaved spouses/partners experience grief uniquely from other age groups, but it is still unclear how certain factors affect the experience of grief. The investigators research team is interested in studying how the psychological factors of trauma, personality, and meaning of the loss affect grief reactions in young spouses/partners after the loss of a spouse to cancer.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2008-09-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2008-09-02
• Study First Posted: 2008-09-03
• Study Start: 2009-01
• Status Verified: 2011-08
• Primary Completion: 2011-08
• Study Completion: 2011-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2011-08-17
• Last Update Posted: 2011-08-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants must be at least 20 years old and no older than 49 years and 11 months old.
• Participants must have lost a spouse/domestic partner to cancer 6 months to 3 years earlier.
• Participants must be able to give informed consent.
• Participants must be able to comprehend English to complete study assessments.

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Exclusion Criteria

• Major psychopathology or cognitive impairment likely in the judgment of the research staff to interfere with the participation or completion of the protocol.

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Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
1	in-person or telephone interview	Young spouses/domestic partners (20-49 years old) of cancer patients who have died from cancer.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To determine the rate and levels of prolonged grief in young bereaved spouses/partners of cancer patients	conclusion of the study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To determine associations among prolonged grief, personality characteristics , previous trauma, & subjective meanings of the loss to the bereaved spouse in young bereaved spouses/partners of cancer	conclusion of the study
To evaluate whether unique themes emerge among those reporting prolonged grief	conclusion of the study
To evaluate whether unique themes emerge among those reporting obsessive and histrionic personality traits	conclusion of the study

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Calavery Hospital; 🇺🇸 Bronx, New York, United States

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States